1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to directed energy systems and, more particularly, to directed energy target disruption.
2. Description of the Related Art
One interesting application of directed energy systems is target disruption. Target disruption temporarily interferes with the normal operation of the target. It is non-destructive, and non-lethal. When the target is illuminated with the directed energy, it ceases to work correctly, only to resume proper function when the illumination is removed.
Historically, target disruption has been performed using low frequency signals. Substantial experience has demonstrated that signals of frequencies at or above about 10 GHz yield unsatisfactory results. Conventional practice typically utilizes signals whose frequencies are at or below about 2 GHz. Signals in the 1 kHz-1 GHz range have been demonstrated to be particularly effective against certain target sets. However, low frequency signals still have some drawbacks. For example, they require electrically large antennas to generate effective electric fields at relatively long ranges; this limitation disqualifies these sources from many applications.
The present invention is directed to resolving, or at least reducing, one or all of the problems mentioned above.